Routines for daytime naps

[ChocOrange05]

Hi all

I would like to know if anyone has any suggestions for a routine for my LO's (7 weeks old) long lunchtime nap. We are roughly following Gina Ford and I have noticed that when he has the recommended naps he is a much more alert, happy and playful afterwards, as opposed to grumpy and cat-napping when he doesn't.

Each evening we do the feed, play, bath, feed bedtime routine and he goes down quite well (tonight he even self settled using a static radio station!!) but its very difficult to get him to sleep for his naps. I don't mind putting him in the sling / pram for short naps but at lunchtime I would like to get stuff done - eat / tidy up etc.

So, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a regular routine I could do for the lunchtime nap which might help him go down each day.

Thoughts / advice appreciated. Thanks!

How about feeding him next to his cot, pop him in, swaddle him and then leave him to it? As long as you catch him before he's over tired, he might suprise you.

He does go down that way sometimes but it seems very hit and miss, I thought a slightly more elaborate routine might work better - just adding one more thing but something that will be a cue for a 7 week old. Maybe reading one of his baby books??

You could do but 7 weeks is very young and to be honest, most of it will just go over his head. How about you hum him the same gentle tune while you swadlle him up and tuck him in etc? My DS more often than not has a bit of a yell when I put him down for naps but is much happier once I've left the room! I soon learnt that a quick departure on my part helped matters hugely. You may stumble on something that works well for just him. He sounds like he's doing brilliantly to be honest.

I tried having an elaborate routine with DS when he was about this age, and i found that actually he was usually over tired by the time I finished, and had to screech himself to sleep. Things improved vastly when I pared the routine down to 5 mins of quieter playing before taking him upstairs, then sitting on the chair in his room with a lullaby playing until he stopped crying/grizzling (he is a champion grizzler when he's nodding off) then pop him in the cot before his eyelids really began drooping, patting him until he fell asleep, with lullaby still playing (one of those tomy light up star things that play music).

We roughly followed GF with ours, and used a cot mobile for the lunchtime nap. I don't know whether it really had any effect, but we always thought it helped! I think it was a Tiny Love one with Bach/Beethoven/Mozart and some monkeys that sort of slid around...

cot mohile or musical windup, very dark room, hushed tones. Give another feed if bfdng and doesn't settle as he's only 7 weeks!!!

I use a cot mobile too, that works well. Usually for naps this is what we do- draw the curtains, sit down & read a little story, then put him in his sleeping bag, turn on his mobile & put him in cot (and I sometimes sing too, when I'm in the mood ). After doing this day after day for months it seems to be working well (DS is now 5 months)- he responds well to it & falls asleep immediately (staying asleep is another matter though!). The other thing is that we use what is called a 'lovey'- a small blanket which he hugs & sleeps with (ours is called 'taggies', you can google it)
Hope some of this helps.